Willem-Alexander: profile of Europe's youngest king

At 46-years-old Willem-Alexander has become Europe's youngest king, another landmark in the eventful life of the Netherlands' Prince of Orange.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, his wife Queen Maxima (R) and their children Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (front, L), Princess Ariane (front, R) and Princess Alexia (C) greet the crowd on Dam Square from the balcony of the Royal Palace Amsterdam, following the official abdication of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.Photo: AFP

By James Brooks

11:35AM BST 30 Apr 2013

Born on April 27, 1967, Willem-Alexander was the first child of Queen Beatrix and the late Prince Claus, later to be joined by brothers Johan Friso and Constantijn, who he spent his early years with at Drakensteyn Castle.

Having insisted that her children had a normal upbringing, Queen Beatrix instructed staff to call her son by his first name until he was 16, an experience that clearly influenced him; recently tellingDutch TV that people "can address me the way they want".

Beginning his education in the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander was later moved to the Atlantic College in Wales following problems with his parents and increasing rebelliousness, eventually gaining an International Baccalaureate in 1985.

After his obligatory military service, Willem-Alexander studied history at Leiden University, gaining his degree in 1993.

It was at university that the future king built an image in the Dutch media as a hard-partying royal, earning him the nickname 'Prince of Pils', after a particular brand of beer.

After his graduation, Willem-Alexander started to shake off his negative image by travelling across the Netherlands; an experience he claims enabled him to get to know his country "in and out".

In 1998, the Prince of Orange was given the nod to become a member of the International Olympic Committee, later gaining a role on the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board due to his work in water management.

It was his meeting with Maxima in 1999, and their subsequent marriage in February 2002, that eventually changed his image into that of a serious royal and family man, worthy of the Dutch throne.

The couple's marriage had initially been deemed controversial, since Maxima's father, Jorge, was a minister during a brutal military dictatorship in Argentina, between 1979 and 1981.

But, the couple eventually gained wide popularity around the Netherlands with their three young daughters, Catharina-Amalia, 9, Alexia, 7, and Ariana, 5, becoming adored by the Dutch media, frequently posing with their parents for official photoshoots.

Seen as more progressive and closer to ordinary people than even his mother, Willem-Alexander has further stamped modernity on the Dutch royal family through his visits abroad and his posts on an online blog.

According to reports, Willem Alexander's sporting activities include tennis, running, skiing, sailing, golf, horse riding, skating and diving. In 1992, he also took part in the New York marathon.